FUNCTIONAL Clean Eating

Question from one of the members from my Clean Eating and Fitness group:
"My biggest need is to take the time to convert/remake recipes of meals my family likes and eats to cleaner versions.  I don't feel like I should be making two meals every night, one for me and one for them."

After much thought and consideration, I have decided that I'm calling it FUNCTIONAL CLEAN EATING
Clean eating isn't an EXACT term with precise guidelines to follow.  That means that I get to make up my own interpretation of  what I think clean eating should be.




FUNCTIONAL CLEAN EATING IS NOT

• A diet or eating plan with RIGID RULES
• Calorie counting, subtracting, or calculations of any kind
• Exactly defined
• To be over thought
• Eating foods that have been injected with chemicals you can't pronouce

FUNCTIONAL CLEAN EATING IS

• Open to a interpretation 
• An easy lifestyle to adopt- if taken slowly
• About eating foods in their most natural state POSSIBLE
• Avoiding foods that have been stripped of their nutritional value

MY BASIC GUIDELINES
These guidelines are what I have found to work for me.

• Unrefined whole grains
• Eating fresh fruits and vegetables with each meal (making up 50% of the "plate")
• Drinking 1/2 my body weight in WATER
• No artificial sweeteners
• Restricting my sugar intake- 1-2 sweets per week
• Eating healthy fats from natural sources: nuts, coconut oil, avocados
• Choosing foods closest to their NATURAL STATE as possible
• Constantly learning how to cook and eat as cleanly as possible
• Simplifying things by planning and prepping
• One weekly "cheat" meal!

MY BASIC GUIDELINES FOR FEEDING MY FAMILY

• Make vegetables and fruit readily available at all times
• Encouraging, not forcing, the kids to try new "clean" foods
• Making 1-2 of their favorite "less clean" meals every week
• Family cheat meal once a week- such as ordering a pizza
• My kids get to have their own choice of 1 box of "sugar" cereal each week
• I will also buy a "treat" for each of them each week-they get to choose it.  Sometimes it's Oreo's and sometimes it's chips.  I don't limit their intake, but when it's gone, it's gone.
• Sometimes I do cook 2 dinners, I don't know how to get away from that.
• Sometimes I just eat what they are eating.
• I know that whatever I make will still be healthier than fast food.

When I first started eating clean, many of my meals were a DISASTER!  Even I thought that they were disgusting.  I have had to learn through trial and error and you will too.  

ABOVE ALL REMEMBER THAT 

 

Many of you may not agree with my idea of "functional" clean eating, but that doesn't matter.  You need to come up with your own interpretation.  Just be a good example, make the best choices possible and eventually your family and friends will have a desire to join you in your healthy lifestyle.  Don't try to make everyone become "clean eaters" cold turkey.  Transition them into it slowly.  Make small changes and eventually you will notice a BIG change.

For more great tips/ideas check out The Gracious Pantry Clean Eating 101

Shopping Clean

Rules of shopping Clean

1. Shop the perimeter

2.  Be weary of food item that have more than 5 ingredients. 

3. If you can't state the name of a particular ingredient in the food you're about to dine on, then consider passing. 

4.  Avoid items that say bleached or enriched.

5.  Make a list and stick to it.

6.  Eat before you go grocery shopping.  


Shop the Perimeter of the Grocery Store. Every store is different, but as a general rule, the outside edge is the natural habitat of the fresh vegetable, meat market, whole-grain baked goods, and the nuts and dried fruits in the bulk bin. Get comfortable here; it is now your territory.  The produce is the one place that I allow myself to deviate from my grocery list.  I buy what I will need for recipes, but I also buy the specials.  My kids love it when I come home with a bag of grapes or a carton of strawberries, they eat them up even faster than a donut.  

You'll probably have to venture into the interior for some staples like olive oil, but keep your blinders on. You're entering a museum of extravagant packaging and manipulative slogans. Few of the items you see in the store's interior promote good health; it's a stretch to call most of it "food." 
More than likely foods that contain more than 5 ingredients are not a "clean" food. Apples, bananas, oats, nuts, eggs, honey are all 1 ingredient foods. Pretty cool, right. There's no guess work there.  Twinkies and cheetos, not so much.  Of course there are exceptions, but this is a pretty good general rule.  

Don't Eat Foods with Ingredients You Can't Pronounce. Look at the label of a box of cookies, a children's lunch pack, or even a bottle of "natural" juice. You'd need a chemistry degree to read it, and even then, you couldn't say what those substances are doing to you in the long run. I have even noticed that different brands of the same canned good will have different ingredients, so be weary.  Compare labels and get the most nutritious one possible.  First, I look at the ingredients and then I compare the sugar and salt content and choose the one with the least amount of additives. 


Avoid any flours that are “enriched” or bleached these grains have been stripped and are filled will additive replace nutrients lost in the manufacturing process.  Even bread products that say "whole wheat" may have enriched or bleached flours, so check the ingredient list first, then look at fiber content.  I have been buying Harper's Homemade bread.  It is made locally and has all natural ingredients.  Of course, homemade is always best! So if you have the time, make your own bread. 

How to Shop Clean on a Budget

Flex your ... WALLET!!! 

Clean eating can save you money. 

• My grocery budget has decreased since my husband and I started Shakeology because we don't have the cravings for junk food, pop, and fast food. 
• Also, we eat out A TON less!!! 
• We are saving at least $50 a week on groceries and not eating out.
• One of the misconceptions people have about making healthy food choices is that it somehow "costs too much" to eat right. 
• People often forget to factor in the sick days, prescriptions, doctor visits, and the price of a reduced quality of life that comes from eating an unhealthy diet.
• Eating for optimal nutrition health is actually a valuable investment in your quality of life. 

8 TIPS for SHOPPING CLEAN ON A BUDGET 

1. Buy Carbs In Bulk. Buy oatmeal, brown rice, potatoes, and beans in bulk. 

2. Always buy the larger economy sized containers when they are on sale.

3. Never pay full price for MEAT. Meat can be frozen for several months so you should only buy it when it is on sale. Watch newspaper circulars for "teaser" sales of meats designed to bring customers in the store.

Look for "reduced for quick sale" or other daily specials and stock up when the price is right.

4.  Always purchase produce in season. When you start buying off-season produce, the price is MUCH higher and generally you will get the best prices from a farmers/produce market.

5.  Frozen fruits and veggies are a great price effective alternative if you can’t get your hands on fresh!

6.  Buy Generic. Let go of your brand & store loyalties. Shop by best value, not brand name.

7. Don't Throw Anything Away. 

Freezing leftovers like extra rice, sauces, or chicken in 1/2 c "snack" baggies will money and time. 

Save for fast meals or lunches instead of eating out.

8.  Shop Using A Grocery List!!!  Stick to your list, don't impulse buy. 

Every item you buy that you don't need adds to your perceived cost of eating healthier!

Food Journal

I know that I lost most of you with the title here.  The dreaded food journal.  I even fight this one- and then I regret it because I end up overeating and gaining weight. I forget what I ate earlier in the day.

Sometimes I'll think, I can eat that because I haven't eaten that much today.  Then when I sit down and figure it out, I realize that I really did eat a great deal more than I thought that I had.

Have you ever had a dish of candy on your desk or counter?  Did you walk by every time and just grab a
few.  Then before you know it you had eaten 500 calories or more. Did that handful of M&M's turn into 6 handfuls?

How about a bowl of cashews?  They are healthy, right?  Yes, they are a great source of protein and healthy fats, but there are about 180 calories in one handful!!!  That is A TON OF CALORIES if you are grabbing a handful every time that you walk by the bowl.

WEIGH, MEASURE, AND LOG your food for the very best results.

What I have found that works the best is to write out my plan for the day, either the night before or the morning of. I don't always specify exactly what I will eat for each food group, for example protein- I may put chicken, ground turkey or eggs on my salad or with rice or quinoa and a side salad or peppers, etc. I may feel like an apple instead of a bananas.

Since I have lots of food already cooked and chopped in my fridge/freezer I can just choose what I feel like when it's time to put together my meal.

This is where the containers from the 21 Day Fix have been so useful.  Today, for example, I felt like eating a banana and an orange AND some pineapple.  I just followed the guidelines and filled my purple container with a little of each fruit.  The containers take all of the stress out of counting calories or worrying that I missed a food group.

Clean Eating Challenge Group

At the beginning of the new year I really needed a change.  I had slowly been slipping back into some old habits-drinking pop and eating sweets. Then my friend introduced me to Shakeology and I was hooked.  I love the team/coach approach.  I am on a team with fabulous people that are inspiring me to take "Clean Eating and Fitness" to a whole new level.  It didn't take me long to realize that the natural thing for me to do was to direct this passion to becoming a Beachbody Coach.  I decided to do my first challenge group based on the Clean Eating principles.  Today is day 5, so I thought I would share what we have been working on so far.

Day 1:  Water

I have been debating where to start with this challenge. All of the "rules" of clean eating are important and it's hard to separate them. I promised all of you that this would be very basic, so we will start with the the most basic necessity of life: water. Water will help you these next 3 days as your body detoxes from the chemicals from pop and sugar. You will probably have a headache, BUT- after you get past those first 3 days, I promise you will feel so much better. Before I started eating clean, I would take Tylenol or Ibuprofen at least three times a week for headaches. Now I might have a headache once a month.

Water makes up about 60 percent of the human body, and it is involved in every system in the body. It regulates body temperature, cushions and protects vital organs, transports nutrients, and eliminates waste. So how much water should you drink? The rule of thumb is you should strive to drink half your body weight in ounces.

Make water your first choice. Americans consume 21 percent of their daily calories from beverages. Few people are aware of all the “liquid calories” they drink. Sugar-sweetened sodas with high-fructose corn syrup or other refined sugars are not included on a clean diet. Water is your best bet.

I drive my husband nuts because I leave glasses of water on the counter tops, bedside table, dresser, computer desk, lamp tables, and in the car. Sometimes I will have 4 or more, empty water bottles floating around in the car. I hate to be stuck without water though and an empty water bottle is usually easy to fill up at a drinking fountain or even at a convenience store.
When you think that you are hungry, and it hasn't been 2 hours since your last meal, try drinking a glass of water or herbal tea before you seek out a snack. Often your mind is confusing your need for water with food. I drink a lot of herbal tea, especially in the winter, when I want to curl up with a good book.

Make sure that you do not leave home without your water bottle. Stick it in your purse, car, strap on to your belt around the house - is that going too far?!?!

For this challenge we will be drinking 2-3 liters of water per day, striving toward the 3 liters for the next 3 days. You can add fruit, like lemon slices, or vegetables, like cucumber, but do not count any of the water that you add anything else to- such as crystal light. Post how much water you drank today.

Day 2: Lean Protein

Eat a serving of lean protein with each meal.  

Examples of LP: 
egg whites, lean turkey, chicken and pork, beans and legumes, lean fish, shrimp, clams, mussels, bison and other game meats, hummus, quinoa, spirulina, sea vegetables, protein powder, tofu and tempeh. 

Think of these food lists as general guidelines to what you should include in your food plan -this is not a diet. If you have a clean, (or healthy) alternative that's not here, give it a try. You don't have to include everything in your food plan either. Pick and choose what fits best for you according to taste, cost and availability. Preferences change from person to person, so choose what tastes best for you. If you like what you eat, you'll enjoy the plan and stick to it. 

Day 3:

Complex Carbs in the form of fruits and vegetables

Eat at least 4 servings of vegetables per day and eat 2 servings of fruit.  

 Remember, above all,this is NOT a diet. This is eating real foods. I know that yesterday was really hard. I know that your body is craving those non-foods that you aren't eating. You know what though, it's just food!!! Don't give food power over you, especially food that will do nothing but sabotage your goals. 

Day 4: Eat 5-6 meals a day. 
Eat like a baby. Babies eat every 2-3 hours and we should too. You should feel hungry within this time if you are eating the right portions of food. Eating 6 small meals keeps your metabolism revved up throughout the day. Make sure that you are getting your 4 veggies, 2 fruits and eating a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrate with each meal. 
Remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so DO NOT SKIP it. Make sure that you eat breakfast within one hour of rising. Tosca Reno (the clean eating lady) says that "people who do eat breakfast are many more times likely to be slim than those who don’t. Eating breakfast on a regular basis helps keep the body nourished and satisfied while providing abundant energy." Also starting your day off with 1/2 lemon squeezed into 8 oz of water is a natural "cleanser." I even like to add lemon slices to my water for something different. 

Day 4: Eat 5-6 meals a day. 

Eat like a baby. Babies eat every 2-3 hours and we should too. You should feel hungry within this time if you are eating the right portions of food. Eating 6 small meals keeps your metabolism revved up throughout the day. Make sure that you are getting your 4 veggies, 2 fruits and eating a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrate with each meal. 

Remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so DO NOT SKIP it. Make sure that you eat breakfast within one hour of rising. Tosca Reno (the clean eating lady) says that "people who do eat breakfast are many more times likely to be slim than those who don’t. Eating breakfast on a regular basis helps keep the body nourished and satisfied while providing abundant energy." Also starting your day off with 1/2 lemon squeezed into 8 oz of water is a natural "cleanser." I even like to add lemon slices to my water for something different. 

Day 5: portion control. 

I will say it again- THIS IS NOT A DIET!!! To me a diet means short term. It's the quick fix. Clean eating is a lifestyle. It's learning how to eat food that provide fuel to your body so that you look, feel, and perform better. What happens when you put the wrong fuel in your car? Your car breaks down. Your body is no different. That's what days 1-4 were all about: putting the right fuel in your body. 

The problem is, you can gain weight clean eating. What?!?! Yep, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. That's why portion control is so important. If you eat clean foods, in the right portions, every 2-3 hours you will lose weight - if that's your goal. Eating sweets isn't the only thing I struggle with. I also have a tendency to over eat. That's why I needed this challenge group too. I'm back to adhering to appropriate portions sizes. I measure and weigh everything but my fruits and veggies. I try to just pile those, especially the veggies, on my plate and eat to my heart's content. I love to use my hands to measure. The reason it's best to measure with your hands is because it fits your needs. 

If you are interested in joining a challenge group send me an email at lisaborden7@beachbodycoach.com.  You can also follow me on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Clean-Eating-and-Fitness-A-Journey/545595565460568.